shanghai

/ʃæŋˈhaɪ/ Chinese Origin Culture

Original Word

上海

Mandarin (Shànghǎi)

Entered English

19th century

First recorded usage in English

The Story Behind "shanghai"

From the port city of Shanghai. The verb meaning 'to kidnap or coerce' originated from the 19th-century practice of drugging or kidnapping men to serve as sailors on ships bound for Shanghai.

Example Usage

"He was shanghaied into working overtime this weekend."

All Chinese Loanwords Look Up in Dictionary

More Chinese Loanwords

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